University of Tulsa loses education department accreditation

The University of Tulsa's Education Department has lost its state accreditation. 2 Works for You Reporter Mycah Hatfield was live from TU's Campus with details.

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In the midst of an educational crisis in Oklahoma, the University of Tulsa’s education department has lost its state accreditation.

The University says several requirements were found to be unsatisfactory during the state’s accreditation process.

According to a spokeswoman with the university, TU is working with the commission for educational quality and accountability and has already identified the areas in which they fell short.

The university says changes are underway starting with reorganizing the educational department and choosing new leadership.

TU says it has added staff to evaluate teacher preparation and candidate assessment.

The University says it is dedicated to regaining accreditation and making sure this doesn’t happen again.

Read the university’s full statement below:

“The University of Tulsa is nationally accredited by the Teacher Education Accreditation Council. TU education graduates are well prepared to enter classrooms and have garnered a 99 percent passage rate on certification exams. They are an invaluable resource for schools across Oklahoma as well as here in Tulsa. Their passion for improving the futures of our children is undeniable.

Several prescribed requirements were deemed unsatisfactory during the state Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability’s accreditation process. We have identified those inadequacies and have begun the process to address each one. The commission has been extremely helpful in providing TU with guidance on how to improve our program and a pathway to regain certification as quickly as possible.

The university already has enacted changes including the reorganization of TU’s Department of Education to better meet standards and the selection of new leadership to oversee the department. We have added staff to effectively evaluate teacher preparation and candidate assessment so that the program can make continuous progress. We are dedicated to regaining the full confidence of the commission within the allotted time and building a framework to ensure accreditation is maintained.\

University of Tulsa graduates have several options in order to obtain teacher certification in Oklahoma, and under the new plan, we hope no students would be affected. As always, our commitment is to the students and their success.”